


Damaged Goods

by Creed Cascade (creedcascade)



Category: Firefly, Serenity (2005)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Families of Choice, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-20
Updated: 2011-11-20
Packaged: 2017-10-26 07:30:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,129
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/280396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/creedcascade/pseuds/Creed%20Cascade
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon knew it was ending with Kaylee, but was something new starting with Mal?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Damaged Goods

**Author's Note:**

> Post Serenity.

Simon was sitting on one of the upper walkways watching Kaylee and River running around Serenity’s hold. He did not have to turn around to know that the footfall and creak of the walkway meant Mal was standing right behind him.

Kaylee squealed with delight as River almost caught her. Simon smiled and leaned his cheek against the cool metal of the railing.

“Good to see them playin’,” Mal commented.

Simon felt the brush of Mal’s leg against his back as Mal stood beside him.

“They’re not playing.”

“Could’ve fooled me. That’s a whole lot of aimless chasin’ ‘n’ wrestlin’ to be anything else.”

“They’re playing in a way,” Simon admitted. “They’re flirting.”

Mal was silent for a moment and watched the girls. River had just reached out and tugged on Kaylee’s ponytail. “Huh.”

“My baby sister’s growing up.”

“I know she’s moon touched so maybe you need to talk to her about not poaching.”

“Captain, that flirting isn’t one-sided.”

As the young women spun around, Kaylee reached out and stole the ribbon that was holding River’s hair back, then she dangling it in front of River’s face. Even though River had inhumanly quick reflections, she did not catch the ribbon when she tried to grab it. Both of them were smiling as they took off on another chase around Serenity’s hold.

Mal’s boots shifted and he coughed low. “I don’t like complications. I know you’ve always been spookily close to your sister, but that’s…”

“It’s not like that.”

“Then what’s it like?”

Kaylee was his best friend and he loved her dearly. She was everything she was supposed to want and he did want. He was willing to ignore that lack of spark between them because he was happy enough. The sex was simply okay and they got along well. She was sweet and Simon was tired of being alone. He had settled with Kaylee because she wanted him and it was far from a hardship.

“They’re falling in love,” Simon admitted.

“I thought Kaylee was with you?”

“She is.”

“There’s that complicated business I was talkin’ about, Doc. I don’t like it.”

Simon swung his legs back and forth. If he loved Kaylee the way he should, it should hurt to think of her with River. It should have been a betrayal. Instead, he felt relieved.

“Kaylee deserves better than me,” Simon told him. “I’m willing to give her that.”

Simon nearly jumped when he felt Mal settle his hand on Simon’s shoulder. “And where does that leave you, boy?”

“You don’t have to worry, Captain. I won’t make trouble. I love them both.”

Mal didn’t remove his hand from Simon’s shoulder. “Suppose that’s better than some weird threesome with your sister. We don’t need any three eyed babies running around my ship.”

Simon should have punched Mal for even implying that, but he snorted out a completely undignified laugh. Mal was inappropriate and rough around the edges. He could feel Mal’s hand still on his shoulder and it was fucked up, but it seemed as if he had won Mal’s respect by letting Kaylee go. If Mal understood anything, it was self sacrifice, denial, and loss.

++++++

His parents had told Simon that there was no such thing as an amicable break-up, but they were wrong. It was still painful when things ended with Kaylee, but more in a wistful sort of way.

She had cried and he had kissed her on forehead telling Kaylee, “You’re family. I still love you. I always will, mei mei.”

It said something that what he missed the most wasn’t the sex, but having someone close at night.

++++++

If Simon had imagined anything happening between himself and the Captain, not that he did… except maybe during the loneliness of the night when he had no control over his mind. If he had imagined a complication developing, as Mal called such things, then Simon would certainly have thought violence would be involved. When things got heated between them, which they often did, it usually ended in a punch, shove, or verbal threat.

Mal said he was a bad, bad man and Simon had a tendency to agree with him.

If Simon had admitted to fantasising about Mal, he might have confessed that it involved intense kisses and being pinned to a wall.

Leave it to Mal to be contrary. Looking back on it, Simon was sure Mal did it just to spite Simon’s fantasies.

Simon had been stitching up another cut in the long line of wounds Mal had collected. He was intimately familiar with each scar that criss-crossed the Captain’s body. It was as run-of-the-mill as things got on Serenity.

They were all damaged goods, just in different ways.

Simon had been leaning close and finishing up with a clean, tight stitch when he felt Mal’s hand rest on the back of his neck.

He wasn’t sure how the touch was more intimate than a kiss, but it was in that moment. Nothing was said, but the way Mal’s fingertips caressed Simon’s skin and moved up to scratch just below his hairline spoke of promise. Then Mal pinched Simon at the base of his neck.

“I’ll be droppin’ by your bunk later, Doc. If you’re there…” Mal shrugged and smirked when Simon became flustered.

Simon put on the bandage with steady fingers because not even Mal could fluster a consummate professional doctor when it came to his patient. But after Mal left Simon’s domain, Simon realized he stood still staring at the doorway for a good seven minutes holding a pair of scissors.

Mal had made no promises for the future or even more than a one time encounter. Simon was sure that anything with Mal would have to be played out on a day-to-day basis. It would be a challenge and likely aggravating as hell.

Starting with tonight, Mal had said he would be dropping by, but not given a specific time. Simon knew the Captain would be amused that Simon would be forced to wait around for him. Mal probably thought he had won the first of what would inevitably be many battles, but he underestimated Simon.

Simon whistled as he slipped on a silk vest Mal would call fussy. For all his protests, it was as plain as day that Mal was attracted to finery whether on a Companion or an Alliance Doctor turned fugitive.

Maybe they were settling for second best. Mal with his Inara issues and Simon being dumped by Kaylee for his sister. Maybe whatever was about to happen was too easy and doomed before it started.

Simon slipped the final button into place and then lounged on his bunk, waiting for Mal.

All Simon knew was that he was tired of being lonely.

END.


End file.
